Who is Sylvia Mendez?
Who is Sylvia Mendez? Separate is Never Equal!
Sylvia Mendez was born in Santa Ana, California in 1936. As a young child, Ms. Mendez was at the center of the landmark 1947 case, Mendez vs. Westminster. In this case, her parents and neighbors fought against the segregation of children of Mexican descent in southern California schools. The Mendez vs. Westminster ruling banned segregation in California public schools and paved the way for the national ban on segregated schools in Brown vs. Board of Education seven years later.
After retiring from a career as a pediatric nurse, Ms. Mendez dedicated her life to sharing the story of her family and the significance of the case. In 2011, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Obama for her advocacy for educational opportunity for "children of all backgrounds and all walks of life."
In 2018, the Berkeley Unified School District voted unanimously to accept the recommendation of the Naming Advisory Committee and change the name of our school from LeConte Elementary to Sylvia Mendez Elementary School.
In 2011 Sylvia Mendez received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Obama.
Welcoming Sylvia Mendez to Our School and Community
On September 14, 2018, Sylvia Mendez Elementary School had the honor of welcoming Ms. Mendez to the first school named in her honor. She celebrated this milestone with the students. Ms. Mendez spent the day with the students, many of whom had read about her story in class and were able to ask her questions about her life. During a heartwarming and emotional celebration, Ms. Mendez expressed how impressed she was with our "school that was so multicultural" and stated that this visit "topped the Medal of Freedom because this is about education. This is about students."
Learn more about Sylvia Mendez's story in the following books for young readers, available at the Berkeley Public Library:
Separate Is Never Equal by Duncan Tonatiuh
Sylvia & Aki by Winifred Conkling
The Untold Story of Sylvia Mendez: School Desegregation Pioneer by Leticia Gonzales
